About the Project

This facility will provide residents with a comfortable and safe location to access City transit services that is protected from weather and offers amenities such as ticketing and washroom facilities.

Regional connectivity is also a major benefit of the new Park 'n' Ride. This building creates an easy to access location that can connect current and future regional transit services to the Lethbridge Transit system.

This project includes a three level parking structure adding 293 stalls of needed downtown parking. More parking opens up exciting opportunities to develop and grow our downtown core.

The Park 'n' Ride is located on 5 Avenue South between 7 and 8 Street and was previously the City owned Bompass parking lot. The terminal will replace the current on-street transit hub by providing ten drop-off/pick-up locations and one-way traffic flow in and out of the site improving safety and accessibility.

The Park 'n' Ride will be the pickup and drop off location for the Highway 3 Connector regional transit route between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge and could also house other future regional transit systems.

Construction of the transit terminal began in early 2018 with completion expected in 2019.​​​​

Project Updates

May 2019 - Construction continues on the interior of the building including the installation of the mechanical heating and HVAC systems. Crews are beginning asphalt work around the site. Street lighting, tree grates and benches have been ordered and will be installed later this summer. Framing of exterior windows is underway.

January 2019 - In late fall and early winter, the windows and openings in the Park 'n' Ride were tarped. Using heaters to maintain a steady temperature, crews were able to proceed with interior work. The main and second floor concrete slabs were poured in early January. Most of the main floor wall framing has been completed as well as some of the concrete block
partitions. Rough in of the underground services in the interior bus lane are
nearing completion and they are compacting base material to bring it up to
finished grade.

October 2018 - The installation of the pre-cast blocks continues and is nearing half-way to completion. This work is expected to wrap up near the end of October. At that time, the building will be closed up and heated so finishing work can be completed over the winter months.

Summer 2018 - A concrete wall has been constructed to support the parkade ramp. A large crane was built on site that will be used to place the pre-cast concrete blocks making up the building. These arrive over an 8 week period. Once the blocks are in place, interior work can begin.

Spring/Summer 2018 - Demolition of the old parking lot was completed and the site was prepared with concrete pilings.

Construction Impact

​We're excited to be building a Regional Park & Ride Transit Terminal downtown and although it will mean the loss of parking during construction, the long term benefits will far outweigh the short term inconvenience. ​​When completed, the project will add 293 parking stalls to the downtown.

In September 2017, the Bompass parking lot on 5th Ave. S. will be closed to accommodate construction of the Regional Park 'n' Ride. Those with permits for this lot have been notified of this change.

​During construction there will also be a loss of angle parking around the perimeter of the construction site.

We understand the inconvenience this will cause for those who park in and around the area. We encourage those impacted to consider other modes of transportation like carpooling, public transit, cycling and walking that will help us manage downtown parking pressures.​

Background

This project is in line with the Government of Alberta's goals of promoting regional transit and reducing greenhouse gases.

In December 2016, the City received $10.1 million from the province's GreenTRIP program and $2 million from the federal Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund to support this project. In addition to the provincial and federal funding, the City of Lethbridge will contribute $4.9 million toward the overall $17 million cost of the transit terminal project.

Scope/Deliverables

The new facility will provide a central location for residents in surrounding communities to park their vehicle and access regional transit. Additionally, Lethbridge residents can easily access City transit to the terminal when taking a regional trip.

The terminal will include ticket stations, washrooms, protection from the weather and a safe and easy place to transfer buses.

Removing buses from 4 Avenue will also free up much needed downtown parking space and decrease the chance for collisions.​